Premier hopes to enlist defence force for security beef-up

Australian Defence Force staff should be called on to help guard potential terrorist targets across Sydney, the Premier, Bob Carr, urged yesterday.

Mr Carr said he would be seeking talks with the Prime Minister, John Howard, to enact federal legislation so military staff can be used with state police to protect the city.

Mr Carr confirmed he had drawn up a list of potential targets, adding: "There are some very obvious targets, they're the matter of our attention.

One of the ... things about the incident in Bali is that it wasn't a piece of infrastructure; it was a different type of target. That raises all sorts of concerns that we can only begin now to address."

Mr Carr said he had ordered a review of all security and expected the Police Commissioner, Ken Moroney, to complete a report within two weeks.

"We are building on work put in place during the Olympics ... but we clearly want an urgent review, and a continuing updating, of these security management response plans," he said.

Mr Moroney said he would be bringing "a range of proposals" aimed at upgrading security, but said he believed Australia was a safer place now than before the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11 last year.

"Police are to get out of vehicles, they are to enter businesses, infrastructure, schools, mosques - those places where large congregations of people might be expected," he said.

Police would also be rostered to guard mosques, Islamic community centres and schools. Local patrols were stepped up on Friday after the US issued a worldwide alert about a potential terrorist attack.

Mr Carr, who offered his condolences to those who had lost loved ones or were still awaiting news, said: "We recognise that Australian families are grieving, but we strongly caution against any expression of generalised hatred against people of the Islamic faith."

The Leader of the Opposition, John Brogden, also offered his condolences.